The road woes the Wild experienced throughout the regular season carried over into the playoffs, plunging the team into an 0-2 hole against the Jets.
But if its performance on home ice also translates, the team could start to claw its way back into its first-round series during Game 3 Sunday at Xcel Energy Center.
"It can be a big turning point in the series," goalie Devan Dubnyk said. "We get tonight, and it sets us up for the next game. We weren't able to do what we wanted to do in Winnipeg, so this is a huge game for us. We need to go out there and not be afraid to just go play and trust that we're a great hockey team and we can beat these guys, and I'm looking forward to seeing that tonight."
The Wild went 27-6-8 at home during the regular season, a source of confidence as it tries to recalibrate after 3-2 and 4-1 losses in Winnipeg earlier in the week. But just because the venue is changing doesn't mean the Wild expects a different effort out of the Jets.
"Winnipeg had a great road record, and I don't think they're going to change their game whatsoever," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "So we can't be anticipating, 'Oh we're at home. We're going to have success.' We have to be ready to play the best game of the series so far."
Before the game, the Wild recalled forwards Kurtis Gabriel, Justin Kloos and Kyle Rau and goaltender Niklas Svedberg from Iowa of the American Hockey League. But don't expect the team's lineup to change.
Projected Wild lineup:
Zach Parise-Mikko Koivu-Nino Niederreiter
